Warmth
by gideondorf
Summary: Thorin and Bilbo share their first kiss on a cold night at Beorn's. fem!Bilbo/fem!Thorin


It is warm and pleasant at Beorn's during the day, but once night falls a chill forms in the air. The bear man has no problem at all staying warm with all of her fur, and the company fares well also if they stay inside.

Thorin can see Bilbo sitting alone by the fire. She is surprised that she is still awake at this time. It is very late, and Thorin herself is very tired. Her back aches from training all day. For some time Bilbo had trained as well but hadn't stayed too long. Despite all of her heroics, she was still a hobbit, and she couldn't spend hours training like the dwarves could. No one shamed her for going inside.

Perhaps she rested earlier and can no longer sleep. Or maybe, like Thorin, she cannot sleep. Despite all of her training from earlier, she will not sleep well tonight. There is much to worry about. Gandalf will leave them soon, and Thorin isn't sure if she and Bilbo can take over the wizard's position. After everything she did, Bilbo was given a leadership role, and Thorin can tell she isn't sure how to take it just yet.

They will have to pass through Mirkwood, and there seems to be no other alternatives. Though Beorn has agreed to give them supplies and bows, Thorin is still fearful. At any moment they could run into Thranduil or elven troops. She knows that Bilbo has a passion for elves, but Thorin will more than likely be the one to deal with them. Besides, Bilbo does not know Thranduil like Thorin does.

Thorin's eyes wonder back to Bilbo. She is shivering, despite the strong fire.

With quick steps, she walks over to and sits down besides Bilbo, wrapping her fur coat around her shoulders. For a moment Bilbo stops shivering and gives Thorin a confused look. She had to have heard Thorin coming; she did not bother to mask her footsteps.

"I do not need it," she says. "The fire warms me enough. You need it right now more than I do."

Thorin looks over Bilbo. She has started to regain her weight. Beside her is a small plate of honey and bread, most of it eaten. Thorin cannot tell whether she has abandoned it or not. By now the bread is mostly a pile of crumbs and the honey is smeared all over the plate.

Bilbo remains wordless. Her eyes return to the fire.

"Is something wrong?" Thorin asks.

Bilbo shakes Thorin's coat off. It is only then that Thorin notices how puffy her eyes are; she has recently been crying.

"What is wrong?" Obviously, something is the matter.

"I want to go home!" Bilbo starts to cry harder.

For a moment, Thorin is surprised that she answered her. Then she's absolutely shocked about what she answered with.

Thorin doesn't know how to reply. Before, she would have mocked her, but now she can't. That would be wrong. Besides, it's natural that she missed home, no matter what she did.

"I don't belong here!" she says. "I'm not like you!"

For a moment, Thorin cannot think straight. "But, but you are."

Bilbo shakes her head. She is shivering again, and Thorin works the coat back on her. "I'm not strong like you all. All I did was jump on an orc."

Thorin's heart sank. Had she unknowingly done something to offend her? "None of us are angry about earlier. We know that hobbits are built differently from dwarves."

"That doesn't matter now," she says. She again tries to work off Thorin's coat, but Thorin places a hand on her shoulder. Bilbo's body freezes below her. "We're still at Beorn's. What about when we reach Mirkwood?" Her words come out in between sobs.

"Shhh," Thorin says, "shhh. You do not need to worry about that right now."

Bilbo frowns. Thorin's words are empty, and she knows she is being a hypocrite. Still, she cannot bear to see Bilbo like this.

But she is stubborn. She will stand by her words no matter what.

"Not now." Her voice is just barely above a whisper, and Bilbo leans in closer to hear what she has said. That gives Thorin enough time to reach out and to allow their lips to quickly touch. It is innocent and quick, but she has been wanting to do it for a while.

When it finishes, Bilbo is as red as her waistcoat. Thorin wraps her waistcoat around Bilbo tighter and kisses the top of her forehead. It musses up her hair, but Bilbo doesn't seem to mind.

Thorin's eyes turn back to the firelight. Tomorrow they can wait, but for now she will think only of now. And really, she doesn't know how to not think of now.

It's nice and peaceful, a kind of feeling she has rarely felt since Erebor fell. She cherishes the moment.

Outside, the wind is fast and the air cold. But here she is warm, both by the small body wrapped in her fur coat beside her and the warm fire in front of them.

In a way, Thorin knows how Bilbo feels. This furniture is far too big. The bees are larger than her fist. The size of Beorn's animals would have made the former farmers of Dale green with envy. It is a human's home, a skin changer's home in fact, and it is made for one. In this place, it is easy to worry.

Thorin looks over at Bilbo. At least now she is not crying. In fact, she is smiling.

"Are you cold?" Thorin asks.

"No," Bilbo replies. Thorin can confirm it; Bilbo is smiling.


End file.
